Multi-purpose hand tool and scribing apparatus utilizing multi-purpose hand tool

ABSTRACT

A multi-purpose hand tool has a first member having a first portion and a second portion. A second portion member is slidably and pivotally coupled to the second portion of the first member. A coupling assembly pivotally couples the second member to the second portion of the first member and allows the second portion between a first position proximate a first end of the second portion in which the multi-purpose hand tool can be used to obtain a measurement for a first marking or scribing operation, and a second position proximate a second end of the second portion opposite the first end thereof in which the multi-purpose hand tool can be used to obtain a measurement for a second marking or scribing operation different from the first marking or scribing operation, thereby providing a multi-purpose hand tool reconfigurable for a plurality of purposes.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. national stage application of copendingInternational Application No. PCT/US2004/025849 filed Aug. 10, 2004 andclaiming a priority date of Aug. 12, 2003.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to hand tools and, moreparticularly, to a multi-purpose hand tool which is capable of beingused for different tasks during commercial, industrial and residentialconstruction, and to a scribing apparatus utilizing the multi-purposehand tool.

2. Background Information

During the course of commercial, industrial and residentialconstruction, various different hand tools are employed by constructionworkers. Generally, each hand tool is used to address one task. Forexample, in addition to the obvious requirement of a hammer and a saw, acarpenter/tradesman or homeowner also requires the use of a number ofadditional hand tools such as a combination square, a tape measure, acombination of tools to mark a piece of material which needs to befitted against an uneven surface or to mark a door frame or a windowframe for the installation of a door casing or a window casing, acompass to scribe cut lines for arcs and circles, and a utility knife orpencil sharpener to sharpen the point of pencils.

Traditionally, construction workers have maintained and transported oneor more large boxes containing such single purpose hand tools to theirwork site, from which they draw the appropriate tool, as necessary.Having to stop and retrieve the appropriate single purpose hand tool andhaving to stock the various hand tools, however, is generally a greatinconvenience, and costs a considerable amount of time, money andenergy. Although it would be desirable, a construction worker cannotpossibly keep one of each of the possible requisite hand tools in his orher work apron or pouch. Thus, because of the number of different toolswhich must be transported to the work site, and carried by theconstruction worker, a single hand tool which is capable of being usedto address multiple tasks has been sought.

Several prior art devices are known which attempt to combine severalhand tools into one device. However, applicant has no knowledge of anycompact multi-purpose hand tool which is capable of being used to mark apiece of material which needs to be fitted against an uneven surface,mark door and window frames for the installation of door or windowcasings, and mark the cut line for arcs and circles, and whichincorporates a pencil sharpener for sharpening pencils used inconjunction with the multi-purpose hand tool and a scale which may beutilized as a ruler to measure dimensions associated with the foregoinguses of the multi-purpose hand tool. Furthermore, the prior art devicesare not sufficiently lightweight and compact to be easily stored in aconstruction worker's apron or pouch.

When marking a given piece of material which needs to be fitted againstan uneven surface, the construction worker has the task of doing it inone single operation, thereby leaving no room for mistakes. This istypically done using a compass, set at a chosen measurement between acompass point and a pencil point. Use of the compass is not foolproofbecause of movement between points and the carpenter's inability to keepa steady hand and constant angle. This task can also be done using ablock of wood, however, this does not provide accuracy to corners orbadly out of shape walls.

When marking door and window frames for the installation of door orwindow casings, accuracy is of the utmost importance for appearance aswell as functionality. Conventionally, a tape measure has been used tomark the window or door frame to the desired distance set back from theedge of the frame (e.g., ¼″ or ¾″). However, the tape measure is notvery well designed to mark such small measurements without substantialdifficulty. Other conventional methods of marking door and window framesfor the installation of door or window casings involves the use of acombination square and the use of two connected pieces of square blocks.However, connecting pieces of square blocks is time consuming, and fieldconditions may require additional blocks of wood to be made up toaccommodate different set back measurements (i.e., ¼ inch set back, ⅜inch set back, ½ inch set back, etc.) which would require fabricatingand connecting additional pieces of wood for marking the new set backmeasurement.

A compass is typically used in conjunction with a tape measure to drawcircles. However, restrictions and accuracy apply with respect to thesize of circles the compass can draw. Furthermore, not only is thecompass not durable when mixed with tools of more durable quality but isdifficult to use when drawing a circle beyond a certain diameter (e.g.,7 inches). Thus, while the compass is a very resourceful constructiontool used primarily by highly-skilled construction workers, it oftencannot be found when needed because of its small size and it becomesdamaged easily which makes it difficult to draw a circle with precision.

Moreover, for the purpose of drawing circles of diameter sizes largerthan permitted by conventional compass tools, two methods have beenproposed. A first method involves the use of a piece of string which isselected of a length corresponding generally to the radius of thedesired circle to be drawn on the material to be marked. One end of thestring is connected to a fastener, such as a screw, which is fixed to alocation on the material corresponding to the center of the circle to bedrawn. The opposite end of the string is wrapped around a pencil at thedesired radius point. The user then pivots the string and pencil aroundthe center screw to draw the circle. However, such method results inimperfect arcs or circles due to the fact that consistent tension on thestring is difficult to maintain.

In the second method, a user cuts a strip of material to a preselectedlength corresponding to a desired radius for the circle to be drawn. Apilot-hole (e.g., 3/6″ diameter) is then drilled at a locationapproximately one inch from one of the ends of the strip of material.The desired radius length is then measured and a pencil hole is drilledat the other end of the strip of material. The user then fixes a screwthrough the pilot-hole into the material to be marked at a positioncorresponding to the center point of the circle and rotates the strip ofmaterial and pencil around the center point, thereby drawing an arc orcircle. However, the problem with this method is that any mistake inmeasurement or inaccuracy in drilling the holes will necessitate newholes being drilled by starting the process again or drilling as manyholes as necessary to achieve an acceptably accurate result. This methodis time consuming and increases the overall cost of constructionprojects.

The present invention overcomes many of the disadvantages inherent inconventional multi-purpose hand tools and with the necessity of usingvarious different hand tools during commercial, industrial andresidential construction. The foregoing and other objects of the presentinvention will become apparent to those skilled in the art in view ofthe description of the best presently known mode of carrying out theinvention as described herein and as illustrated in the drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-purpose handtool which can be selectively used to mark a given piece of materialwhich needs to be fitted against an uneven surface, to mark door andwindow frames for the installation of door or window casings, and tomark straight lines, arcs or circles with precision and withoutconsuming a large amount of time.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-purposehand tool and extension combination for drawing circles of variousdesired diameters.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-purposehand tool which incorporates a sharpener for sharpening marking pencilsand a scale for taking measurements and which are used in conjunctionwith the multi-purpose hand tool.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-purposehand tool which is easy to operate on the job site.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-purposehand tool which may be operated quickly with little or no risk ofinaccuracy due to wavering during operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-purposehand tool which may be readily operated without the use of auxiliarytools or excessive manipulations.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-purposehand tool which is lightweight and compact so that it can be easilycarried and stored in a worker's apron or pouch.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-purposehand tool having components fabricated of clear cast or poured resin toprovide transparency through the components to aid the user duringmarking operations.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a multi-purposehand tool which is inexpensive, durable, dependable and fully effectivein accomplishing its intended purposes.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a scribingapparatus utilizing the multi-purpose hand tool of the present inventionfor scribing a line in or on a piece of material.

The foregoing and other objects of the present invention are carried outby a multi-purpose hand tool comprising a first member having a firstportion and a second portion, a second member slidably and pivotallycoupled to the second portion of the first member, and a couplingassembly for pivotally coupling the second member to the second portionof the first member and allowing the second member to slide on and pivotrelative to the second portion between a first position proximate afirst end of the second portion in which the multi-purpose hand tool canbe used to obtain a measurement for a first marking or scribingoperation, and a second position proximate a second end of the secondportion opposite the first end thereof in which the multi-purpose handtool can be used to obtain a measurement for a second marking orscribing operation different from the first marking or scribingoperation, to thereby provide a multi-purpose hand tool reconfigurablefor a plurality of purposes.

The coupling assembly preferably comprises a boss portion extending froma surface of the second member, an elongated slot disposed between thefirst and second ends of the second portion of the first member forreceiving the boss portion, and a releasable locking mechanismcooperating with the boss portion and the elongated slot to allow thesecond member to slide on and pivot relative to the second portion ofthe first member. The releasable locking mechanism preferably comprisesa knob having a female threaded joint and a fastener having a stemprovided with a male threaded joint for engagement with the femalethreaded joint of the knob. The first member includes a cutout region inthe first portion thereof. The fastener has a head portion for slidingengagement with a surface of the cutout region during relative slidingmovement between the first member and the second member.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the first memberof the multi-purpose hand tool includes a retractable needle assembly.In one embodiment, the retractable needle assembly comprises afinger-engagement portion for undergoing rotation in first and secondopposite directions over a first surface of the first portion, and a pinfor undergoing rotation with the finger-engagement portion. The pin hasa head portion, a stem extending from the head portion and having aneedle point, and a male threaded joint disposed on the stem and betweenthe head portion and the needle point.

The first portion of the first member has a through-hole extending fromthe first surface of the first portion to a second surface thereofopposite the first surface. The through-hole has a female threaded jointfor engagement with the male threaded joint of the pin so that uponrotation of the finger-engagement portion in the first direction, thepin is displaced in a direction along a longitudinal axis thereof toprotrude the needle point of the stem from an end of the through-hole atthe second surface of the first portion, and so that upon rotation ofthe finger-engagement portion in the second direction, the pin isdisplaced along the longitudinal axis to retract the needle point intothe through-hole.

The finger-engagement portion has a cavity for receiving the headportion of the stem so that rotation of the finger-engagement portion ineach of the first and second directions rotates the pin in a respectiveone of the first and second directions and allows movement of the headportion of the pin within the cavity along the longitudinal axis.

In another aspect, the multi-purpose hand tool further comprises meansdefining at least one marking pencil rest disposed at the first end ofthe second member. In one embodiment, the means defining at least onemarking pencil rest comprises a notch portion cut in the second memberat a first end thereof.

In another aspect, the multi-purpose hand tool further comprises holdingmeans disposed at a second end of the second member opposite the firstend thereof for holding a marking pencil. In one embodiment, the holdingmeans comprises a tubular insert disposed in the through-hole of thesecond member, and gripping means extending from an inner peripheralsurface of the tubular insert for gripping the marking pencil.Preferably, the gripping means comprises a plurality of ribs.

According to another aspects of the present invention, the multi-purposehand tool has measuring scales for measuring dimensions corresponding tothe use of the multi-purpose hand tool. The measuring scales arepreferably color-coded to facilitate selection of the measuring scalefor the particular use and to facilitate identification of thedimensional markings on the measuring scales during such use.

According to yet another aspect, the multi-purpose hand tool has atleast one sharpener for sharpening marking pencils.

In another aspect, the present invention is directed to the combinationof the multi-purpose hand tool according to the present invention and aframe member configured to be integrally connected to the multi-purposehand tool and functioning to extend the multi-purpose hand tool to allowcircles of large diameters to be marked on a piece of material.Preferably, the multi-purpose hand tool is provided with a pair ofthrough-holes extending through the first member. The frame member isconnected to the multi-purpose hand tool using a pair of fastenerspassing through the respective through-holes and engaging the framemember.

In yet another aspect, the present invention is directed to a scribingapparatus comprised of a first member having a first surface forcontacting a surface of a material to be scribed, a second surfacedisposed opposite the first surface, and a longitudinal slot extendingfrom the first surface to the second surface. A second member isslidably and pivotally coupled to the first surface of the first member.The second member has a first main surface, a second main surfacedisposed opposite the first main surface, and a through-hole extendingfrom the first main surface to the second main surface. The through-holeis generally vertically aligned with the longitudinal slot of the firstmember at preselected positions of the second member relative to thefirst member. A coupling assembly pivotally couples the second member tothe first surface of the first member and allows the second member toslide on and pivot relative to the first surface of the first member. Acutting tool has a cutting member for insertion generally verticallythrough the through-hole of the second member and the longitudinal slotof the first member in any of the preselected positions for contactingthe surface of the material to scribe a line in the surface of thematerial when the first member and the second member are displacedrelative to the material while the first member is maintained in contactwith the surface of the material.

In another embodiment, at least the first and second members of themulti-purpose hand tool in any of the foregoing aspects of the inventionare fabricated from a transparent material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description ofpreferred embodiment of the invention, will be better understood whenread in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. For the purpose ofillustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings embodimentswhich are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, thatthe invention is not limited to the precise arrangement andinstrumentalities shown. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a multi-purpose hand tool accordingto the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the multi-purpose hand toolaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a right side view of the multi-purpose hand tool according tothe present invention;

FIG. 4 is a left side view of the multi-purpose hand tool according tothe present invention;

FIG. 5A is a top view of the multi-purpose hand tool according to thepresent invention and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along line5B-5B in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the multi-purpose hand tool according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the multi-purpose hand tool according tothe present invention;

FIG. 8 is a front view of the multi-purpose hand tool according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 9 is a rear view of the multi-purpose hand tool according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 in FIG.5;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11-11 in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 12-12 in FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a partially exploded view of the multi-purpose hand toolshowing the components of the retractable needle point mechanismaccording to the present invention;

FIGS. 14A-14B are perspective views of the multi-purpose hand toolaccording to the present invention disposed in a first configuration anda second configuration, respectively, during use to mark cut lines forcircles;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the multi-purpose hand tool accordingto the present invention used in combination with an extension formarking cut lines for circles with larger diameters;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the multi-purpose hand tool accordingto the present invention during use to mark a piece of material whichneeds to be fitted against an uneven surface;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the multi-purpose hand tool accordingto the present invention during use to mark a door frame or a windowframe for the installation of a door casing or a window casing,respectively; and

FIGS. 18A-18D show a cutting tool for use in combination with themulti-purpose hand tool according to the present invention to score acut line for a circle with the cutting tool, where 18A is a perspectiveview of the combination, and FIGS. 18B-18D are a bottom view, a frontview, and a side view, respectively, of the cutting tool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many differentforms, this specification and the accompanying drawings disclose onlysome forms as examples of the use of the invention. The invention is notintended to be limited to the embodiments so described, and the scope ofthe invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenienceonly and is not intended to be limiting. The words right, left, rear,front, top, bottom, inner, outer, clockwise and counterclockwisedesignate directions in the drawing to which reference is made. Suchterminology includes the words above specifically mentioned and words ofsimilar import.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals are usedto indicate like elements throughout, there is shown in FIGS. 1-4,5A-5B, 6-13, 14A-14B and 15-17 an embodiment of a multi-purpose handtool, generally designated at 2, according to the present invention. Themulti-purpose hand tool 2 has a first member 4, a second member 6mounted on the first member 4 for undergoing sliding and rotationalmovement relative thereto, and a releasable locking mechanism, generallydesignated at 8, having a locked position and an unlocked position. Asdescribed below in detail, the releasable locking mechanism 8 allowsvariable orientation of the second member 6 with respect to the firstmember 4 in its unlocked position such that the second member 6 ispermitted to rotate and linearly slide relative to the first member 4.

The first member 4 has a front portion terminating in a first end 4 a, arear portion terminating in a second end 4 b, a first side 4 c, a secondside 4 d, and a bottom surface 4 e. The first member 4 has a firstportion 10 which has an end terminating at the second end 4 b and asecond portion 12 extending from another end of the first portion 10 tothe first end 4 a. The first portion 10 has a top surface boa and thesecond portion 12 has a top surface 12 a. The bottom surface 4 e of thefirst member 4 corresponds to a bottom surface of both the first andsecond portions 10, 12. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the distance betweenthe first end 4 a and the second end 4 b defines a length L of the firstmember 4 and thus the overall length of the multi-purpose hand tool 2.As shown in FIG. 4, the distance between the top surface 10 a of thefirst portion 10 and the bottom surface 4 e defines a thickness t1 ofthe first portion 10. The distance between the top surface 12 a of thesecond portion 12 and the bottom surface 4 e defines a thickness t2 ofthe second portion 12. The distance between the first side 4 c and thesecond side 4 d defines a width W of the first member 4 and thus' theoverall width of the multi-purpose hand tool.

The end of the first portion 10 which is opposite to the end thereofterminating at the second end 4 b of the first member 4 has two taperedsurfaces 10 b, 10 c converging toward the second end 4 b and terminatingin a partially circular surface 10 d. The front portion of the firstmember 4 has two tapered surfaces 4 f, 4 g converging from edges 4 h, 4i, respectively, toward the first end 4 a to form a pointed edge 14which, as further described below, serves as a guide edge during amarking operation of the multi-purpose hand tool 2. An elongated slot 12b is formed in the second portion 12 of the first member 4 and, asfurther described below, permits the second member 6 to slide and pivotrelative to the first member 4. The elongated slot 12 b extendspartially along the length L of the multi-purpose hand tool 2 and has afirst end 11 disposed proximate the circular surface 10 d and a secondend 13 disposed proximate a line crossing respective points along edges4 h, 4 i. In the direction of the thickness t1 of the second portion 12,the elongated slot 12 b extends from the top surface 12 a of the secondportion 12 to a surface of a cutout region 15 formed in the bottomsurface 4 e of the first member 4.

The first portion 10 of the first member 4 supports a retractable needleassembly, generally designated at 16, which, as further described below,is used as a center to allow the multi-purpose hand tool 2 to rotateabout an axis of a pin for circle marking. Referring to FIG. 13, theretractable needle assembly 16 comprises a pin, generally designated at18, and a knob 26. The pin 18 has a stem 20 provided with a needle point20 a, a threaded male joint 22 disposed on the stem 20, and a headportion 24. A knob 26 has a cavity 26 a for receiving the head portion24 of the pin 18, a finger-engagement portion 26 b, and an engagementportion 26 c spaced from the finger-engagement portion 26 b by a reduceddiameter portion 26 d. The first portion 10 of the first member 4 has athrough-bore 27 extending from the top surface 10 a to the bottomsurface 4 e. The through-bore 27 has a cutout 28 for receiving theengagement portion 26 b of the knob 26 and a threaded female joint 30contiguous with the cutout 28. In the described embodiment, theengagement portion 26 b of the knob 26 is a clip which is adapted to besnapped into the cut-out 28 of the through-bore 27 and which has adiameter sufficiently smaller than the cutout 28 to allow the knob 26 torotate relative to the first portion 10. The relative dimensions of thecavity 26 a of the knob 26 and the head portion 24 of the pin 18 areselected so that the knob 26 and the head portion 24 can rotate togetherwhile the head portion 24 is allowed to move along a longitudinal axisof the pin 18, denoted by the direction of arrow 32, relative to theknob 26.

FIG. 11 shows the retractable needle assembly 16 in the assembledcondition. The pin 18 is secured to the first portion 10 of the firstmember 4 by screwing the threaded male joint 22 provided on the step 20of the pin 18 into the threaded female joint 30 provided in the firstportion 10. The knob 26 can be manipulated manually (i.e., by turning inthe counterclockwise directions denoted by arrows 34, 36, respectively)to displace the pin 18 in the vertical directions denoted by arrows 32in FIG. 13 to thereby move the pin 18 from a first locking position,where the needle point 20 a is retracted within the through-bore 27, asshown in FIG. 6, to a second locking position where the needle point 20a is exposed from the through-bore 27 and protrudes from the bottomsurface 4 e of the first member 4, as shown in FIGS. 10-11. As bestshown in FIG. 11, in the assembled condition of the retractable needleassembly 16, the needle point 20 a is disposed along a central axis ofthe first member 4 in the longitudinal direction thereof.

The first portion 10 of the first member 4 is also provided with twocountersunk holes 21, 25 which, as best shown in FIG. 5B, extend fromthe top surface 10 a to the bottom surface 4 e of the first portion 10.The countersunk holes 21, 25 are disposed on opposite sides of theelongated slot 12 b formed in the second portion 12 of the first member4. As further described below, the countersunk holes 21, 25 are used tofacilitate integral connection of the multi-purpose hand tool 2 to aframe member which functions as an extension for the multi-purpose handtool 2 that allows circles of larger diameters to be marked on a pieceof material.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 6, 7 and 10, the second member 6 has agenerally plate-shaped body 7 having a front portion terminating in afirst end 6 a, a rear portion terminating in a second end 6 b, a firstside 6 c, a second side 6 d disposed generally parallel first side 6 c,a top surface 6 e and a bottom surface 6 f. The front portion of thesecond member 6 has two tapered surfaces 6 g, 6 h converging toward thefirst end 6 a. Each of the tapered surfaces has a notch portion 6 x, 6y, respectively, which, as further described below, serves as pencilrest during a marking operation of the multi-purpose hand tool 2. Therear portion of the second member 6 has two tapered surfaces 6 j, 6 kconverging toward the second end 6 b and terminating in a partiallycircular protrusion 61 having a first through-hole 6 m extending fromthe top surface 6 e to the bottom surface 6 f. A second through-hole 6 nis disposed between the first and second ends 6 a, 6 b of the secondmember 6 and extends from the top surface 6 e to the bottom surface 6 fthereof. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 6, the second member 6 has a widthequal to the width W of the first member 4.

Referring to FIG. 12, a generally circular boss portion 6 p extends fromthe plate-shaped body 7 at the bottom surface 6 f and is contiguous withthe second through-hole 6 n. The boss portion 6 p is dimensioned to bepositioned in the elongated slot 12 b of the second portion 12 with agenerally circular clearance c therebetween so that the boss portion 6 pis permitted to rotate in the elongated slot 12 b and to be displacedlinearly along the elongated slot 12 b. By this construction, the bossportion 6 p serves as a guide and a pivot point for the sliding andpivotal movement of the second member 6 relative to the first member 4.

The second member 6 is releasably secured to the second portion 12 ofthe first member 4 by the releasable locking mechanism 8. In the lockedposition of the releasable locking mechanism 8, the second member 6 issecured to the second portion 12 of the first member 4 to prevent anyrelative movement between the first and second members 4, 6. In theunlocked position of the releasable locking mechanism 8, the secondmember 6 is permitted to rotate and linearly slide relative to the firstmember 4 along the elongated slot 12 b. While it is contemplated thatany releasable locking mechanism known to persons skilled in the artwhich provides rotational and sliding movement of the second member 6relative to the first member 4 may be used, the preferred releasablelocking mechanism 8, as shown in FIGS. 7, 10 and 12, has a fastener 38and a knob 40 having a threaded female joint 40 a. The fastener 38 has athreaded male joint 38 a disposed on a stem 38 b and a head portion 38c.

The second member 6 is secured to the second portion 12 of the firstmember 4 by first positioning the bottom surface 6 f of the secondmember 6 on the top surface 12 a of the second portion 12 so that theboss portion 6 p is positioned in the elongated slot 12 b as shown inFIG. 12. The knob 40 is then positioned over the top surface 6 e of thesecond member 6 so that the female threaded joint 40 a is aligned withthe second through-hole 6 n of the second member 6, and the stem 38 b ofthe fastener 38 is passed through the elongated slot 12 b of the secondportion 12 and through the through-hole 6 n of the second member 6 fromthe bottom surface 4 e of the first member 4. The threaded male joint 38a of the fastener 38 is then screwed into the female threaded joint 40 aprovided in the knob 40 by turning the knob 40 until the head portion 38c of the fastener 38 abuts the surface of the cutout region 15 of thefirst member 4 and the second member 6 is securely pressed between abottom surface 40 b of the knob 40 and the top surface 12 a of thesecond portion 12.

The releasable locking mechanism 8 may be placed in the unlockedposition by loosening the knob 40 (i.e., unscrewing the threads 40 ofthe knob 40 from the threads 38 of the stem 38 b). In its unlockedposition, the releasable locking mechanism 8 provides the second member6 with the capability of sliding linearly along the elongated slot 12 band rotating about the guide portion 6 p to be adjusted to the desired,or necessary, orientation. During sliding movement of the second member6 relative to the first member 4, the head portion 38 c is permitted toslide along the surface of the cutout region 15 of the first member 4.

Thus the knob 40 constitutes hand-tightening means for drawing the topsurface 12 a of the second portion 12 of the first member 4 against thebottom surface 6 f of the second member 6. Such hand-tightening meansgreatly facilitates marking operations, allowing such marking operationsto be carried out quickly and easily without additional tools. In thiscase, the knob 40 may be tightened and loosened quickly and easily bysimple finger engagement. It will be understood by those skilled in theart that other finger-tightening devices, such as thumb screws, wingnuts and the like, could be used as well.

The second member 6 can be adjusted to a desired orientation relative tothe first member 4 such that use of the multi-purpose hand tool 2 iscustomized for the specific use of the multi-purposed hand tool desiredby the operator. For example, in one configuration shown in FIGS. 1-6and 10, the second member 6 is positioned relative to the first member 4so that the tapered surfaces 6 j, 6 k and the partially circularprotrusion 61 of the second member are disposed in proximate confrontingrelation to the corresponding tapered surfaces 10 b, 10 c and partiallycircular surface 10 d of the first portion 10. More specifically, inthis configuration the second end 6 b of the second member 6 abuts thefirst end 11 of the elongated slot 12 b. After placing the releasablelocking mechanism 8 in the unlocked position, the second member 6 can beslid along the elongated slot 12 b in a direction away from the firstportion 10 and then locked in place by the locking mechanism 8 at anydesired position to achieve, for example, the configuration shown inFIG. 14.

As described in detail below, in the configurations shown in FIGS. 14Aand 14B the operator can use the multi-purpose hand tool 2 to mark a cutline for a circle with a pencil 44, or score a cut line for a circlewith a cutting tool 100 shown in FIGS. 18A-18D, with the diameter of thecircle increasing as the second member 6 is positioned (i.e., by slidingthe second member along the elongated slot 12 a to a position where acircle 74, for example, can be marked) farther away from the firstportion 10. From the configuration of the multi-purpose hand tool 2shown in FIG. 14A, the configuration shown in FIG. 14B is achieved byloosening the knob 40, rotating the second member 6 by 180°, sliding thesecond member 6 along the slot 12 a to a preselected position (e.g., tomark a circle 76), and tightening the knob 40 at the preselectedposition. As further described below, in the configuration shown in FIG.15 the multi-purpose hand tool 2 is integrally connected to a framemember 55 which functions as an extension for the multi-purpose handtool 2 that allows circles of larger diameters (e.g., circle 78) to bemarked with the pencil 44 or scored with the cutting tool 100 (FIGS.18A-18D).

In another configuration shown in FIG. 16, after placing the releasablelocking mechanism 8 in the unlocked position, the second member 6 isflipped or rotated 180° degrees about the guide portion 6 p and thenlocked in place relative to the first member 4 by tightening the lockingmechanism 8 at any desired position along the elongated slot 12 b. Asfurther described below, in the configuration shown in FIG. 16 theoperator can use the multi-purpose hand tool 2 to, for example, mark apiece of material 80 which needs to be fitted against an uneven surface82.

FIG. 17 shows another configuration of the multi-purpose hand tool 2where the second member 6 is slid along the elongated slot 12 b in adirection away from the first portion 10 until the first end 6 a of thesecond member 6 extends a desired preselected amount from the first end4 a of the first member 4 and is then locked in place relative to thefirst member 4 by the locking mechanism 8. As further described below,in the configuration shown in FIG. 17 the operator can use themulti-purpose hand tool 2 to, for example, mark a door or window frame90 for the installation of a door or window casing.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 10, a generally cylindrical tubular insert42 having a plurality of longitudinal ribs 42 a extending from an innerwall surface thereof is dimensioned to be fitted in the through-hole 6 mof the second member 6. The length and diameter of the tubular insert 42is selected so that the tubular insert is retained in the through-hole 6m by friction-fit and top and bottom peripheral edges of the tubularinsert lie generally flush with a respective one of the top and bottomsurfaces 6 e, 6 f of the second member 6. The tubular insert 42functions as a grip or holder for holding a marking pencil 44 during useof the multi-purpose hand tool 2 in the configurations shown in FIGS. 14and 15, for example. The ribs 42 a prevent any twisting of the pencil44. In the locked position of the locking mechanism 8, the through-hole6 m, and thus the tubular insert 42, are aligned with the elongated slot12 b, as shown in FIG. 6, so that at least a tip 44 a of the markingpencil 44 extends into the elongated slot and is permitted to contact asurface on which a marking operation, for example, is desired to beperformed. The ribs 42 a prevent any twisting of the marking pencil 44relative to the second member 6 during use of the multi-purpose handtool 2.

According to another aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIGS.1, 3, 6, 7 and 10, the first portion 10 of the first member 4 includestwo sharpeners, generally designated at 45 and 49, for sharpening themarking pencil 44. The sharpener 45 has a passage 46 formed in the firstportion 10 and extending from the second end 4 b to the second side 4 dof the first member 4. An open end 48 of the passage 46 at the secondend 4 b allows insertion therethrough of the tip 44 a of the markingpencil 44 to be sharpened. The diameter of the passage 46 is preferablyselected so that the marking pencil 44 is permitted to rotate thereinduring a sharpening operation while being retained therein withoutassistance from the operator during use of the multi-purpose hand tool2. A cutout 50 is formed in the second side 4 d of the first member 4and a longitudinal slot 52 extends through the cutout 50 to communicatethe passage 46 with the exterior of the first member 4. A blade 54 isdetachably mounted to the first portion 10 and extends over the slot 52so that a cutting edge 54 a of the blade 54 is aligned with the slot 52and is oriented generally parallel to a sloping side 46 a of the passage46. Any suitable means may be used for detachably mounting the blade 54in the cutout 50. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the blade 54 may bemounted in the cutout 50 by passing threaded screws 56 through openings58 of the blade 54 and screwing each of the threaded screws 56 inrespective ones of threaded holes 60 formed in the cutout portion 50.Preferably, the blade 54 has another cutting edge 54 b in parallelrelation to the cutting edge 54 a. When the cutting edge 54 a is dulled,the cutting edge 54 b can be used by turning the blade 54 by 180° andpositioning the blade 54 in the cutout 50 so that the cutting edge 54 bis aligned with the slot 52. During use, the tip of the marking pencil44 is inserted into the passage 46 through the open end 48 and rotatedagainst the cutting edge 54 a and is thereby sharpened. The shavings ofthe marking pencil are directed by the cutting edge 54 a to the outsideof the first member 4.

The sharpener 49 has a passage 51 formed in the first portion 10 andextending from the second end 4 b to the first side 4 c of the firstmember 4. The construction of the sharpener 49 is the same as describedabove for the sharpener 45 except for the shape of the front end of thepassages 46 and 51. As shown in FIG. 6, in the sharpener 45 the frontend of the passage 46 is shaped to accommodate a pencil with a shortsharpening point, as denoted by pencil 44 shown in FIG. 10. In thesharpener 49, however, the front end of the passage 51 is shaped toaccommodate a pencil with a longer sharpening point (e.g., a typicalsharpening point for a No. 2 pencil), as denoted by pencil 44 shown inFIGS. 14-17. It is understood by those skilled in the art that theconstruction of the front end of the passages 46 and 51 can be variedfrom the construction shown in FIG. 6 in order to accommodate pencilshaving sharpened points other than those denoted by the pencils 44 shownin FIGS. 10 and 14-17.

According to another aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIGS.3-4, a measuring scale, generally designated at 62, is provided on eachof the first and second sides 4 c, 4 d of the first member 4. Themeasuring scales 62 are preferably provided with dimensional markings 63in the form of scribed thin lines to facilitate identification. Themeasuring scales 62 may be used as rulers, as well as scales formeasuring the diameter of a circle or for measuring the distance of theline to be marked from a given surface when the multi-purpose hand toolis used by an operator, for example, in the corresponding configurationsshown in FIGS. 14-17. The directions of the dimensional markings of themeasuring scales 62 are reversed on the first and second sides 4 c, 4 dof the first member 4 to facilitate taking measurements in any of thedescribed uses of the multi-purpose hand tool 2. Although in the presentembodiment a measuring scale is provided on each of the first and secondsides 4 c, 4 d of the first member, it is understood that the measuringscale may be provided on only one of the first and second sides 4 c, 4d.

In addition to the measuring scales 62 provided on the sides of thefirst member 4, three additional measuring scales are preferablyprovided on surfaces of the first member 4 and the second member 6.Referring to FIG. 5, two measuring scales 63, 65 are provided on the topsurface 12 a of the second portion 12 of the first member 4 and onopposite sides of the elongated slot 12 b. The measuring scales 63, 65have dimensional markings 63 a, 65 a, respectively. The directions ofthe dimensional markings of the measuring scales 63, 65 are reversed asshown in FIG. 5 to facilitate taking measurements in any of thedescribed uses of the multi-purpose hand tool 2. FIG. 6 shows anothermeasuring scale 67 provided on the bottom surface 6 f of the secondmember 6 and having dimensional markings 67 a. The dimensional markingsof the measuring scales 64, 65 and 67 are preferably provided in scribedthin lines to facilitate identification. The measuring scales 63, 65 and67 may also be used as rulers, as well as scales for measuring thediameter of a circle or for measuring the distance of the line to bemarked from a given surface when the multi-purpose hand tool is used byan operator, for example, in the corresponding configurations shown inFIGS. 14A-14B and 15-17.

According to another aspect of the present invention, one or more of themeasuring scales 62, 63, 65 and 67 may be color-coded to correspond to aspecific function or operation, such as when the multi-purpose hand tool2 is used by an operator in any of the corresponding configurationsshown in FIGS. 14-17. The dimensional markings of the measuring scales62, 63, 65 and 67 may also be color-coded for easier identificationpurpose. During use of the multi-purpose hand tool 2 having thecolor-coded measuring scales, the user can readily select the measuringscale to be used for a particular operation by mere inspection of thecolor designated as corresponding to the operation.

Various practical uses for the multi-purpose hand tool 2 of the presentinvention will now be illustrated in conjunction with FIGS. 1-17.

FIG. 14A illustrates the multi-purpose hand tool 2 of the presentinvention used to mark a cut line for a circle. After locating thecenter of the circle to be marked on a piece of material 70, themulti-purpose hand tool 2 is disposed on the piece of material 70 sothat the needle point 20 a of the pin 18 of the retractable needleassembly 16 coincides with the marked center of the circle. The userthen turns the knob 26 clockwise (i.e., in the direction denoted byarrow 36 in FIG. 13) to thereby move the pin 18 to the second lockingposition where the needle point 20 a protrudes from the bottom surface 4e of the first member 4 and contacts the material 70 at the markedcenter of the circle. In this state, the multi-purpose hand tool 2 issufficiently held or anchored on the material 70 by the needle point 20a so that the multi-purpose hand tool does not slide relative theretoand the needle point 20 a can be used as a center about which themulti-purpose hand tool is rotated to draw a circle on the material 70as described below.

In order to facilitate positioning of the needle point 20 a at thecenter of the circle to be marked, center indicators in the form ofmarkings 23 are provided on the second end 4 b, the first side 4 c, andthe second side 4 d of the first member 4, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, 7, 9and 13. The marking 23 on the second end 4 b of the first member 4coincides with the central axis of the first member 4 in thelongitudinal direction thereof and, therefore, also coincides with theneedle point 20 a which lies on the central axis as described above. Theneedle point 20 a also lies on a line extending through the markings 23on the first and second sides 4 c, 4 d of the first member 4. Afterselecting the center of the circle to be marked on the material 70,accurate positioning of the needle point 20 a at the center of thecircle is accomplished by first drawing perpendicular lines through theselected center of the circle and then positioning the multi-purposehand tool 2 on the material 70 so that the marking 23 on the second end4 b of the first member 4 coincides with one of the perpendicular linesand the markings 23 on the first and second sides 4 c, 4 d of the firstmember 4 coincide with the other perpendicular line. The needle point 20a is then anchored to the material 70 at the selected center of thecircle as described above.

After locating the center of the circle to be marked utilizing themarkings 23 and positioning the needle point 20 a of the pin 18 at thecenter of the circle as described above, the diameter of the circle isselected by the user by sliding the second member 6 along the elongatedslot 12 b of the first member 4. It will be appreciated by those ofordinary skill in the art that the combination of the length of theelongated slot 12 b and the fixed distance between the needle point 20 aof the pin 18 and the first end 11 of the elongated slot 12 b definesthe range of diameters of the circle which can be drawn by themulti-purpose hand tool 2 in the configuration shown in FIG. 14A. Thus,the minimum diameter of the circle that can be drawn using themulti-purpose hand tool 2 in the configuration shown in FIG. 14A isachieved by positioning the second member 6 relative to the first member4 so that the second end 6 b of the second member 6 is disposed at thefirst end 11 of the elongated slot 12 b. After locking the releasablelocking mechanism 8 at this position of the sliding member 6, themarking pencil 44 is inserted into the tubular insert 42 until the tip44 a contacts the surface of the material 70. A circle 72 is then drawnon the material 70 by rotating the multi-purpose hand tool 2 about thecenter defined by the needle point 20 a. In this embodiment, thediameter of the circle 72 is equal to twice the distance (i.e., radius)between the needle point 20 a of the pin 18 and the center of the firstthrough-hole 6 m of the second member 6.

To position the multi-purpose hand tool 2 for marking another circle,the knob 26 of the retractable needle assembly 16 is first rotatedcounterclockwise (i.e., in the direction denoted by arrow 34 in FIG. 13)to thereby move the pin 18 to the first locking position where theneedle point 20 a is retracted within the through-bore 27. Then, aftermarking the desired center of the new circle to be drawn on the piece ofmaterial 70, the needle point 20 a of the pin 18 is moved to the secondlocking position so that the needle point 20 a coincides with the markedcenter of the circle and can be used as a center for the circle to bedrawn as described above.

Thereafter, in order to draw a circle 74 on the material 70 having alarger diameter than the circle 72, the releasable locking mechanism 8is first placed in the unlocked position, as described above, and thesecond member 6 is slid along the elongated slot 12 b in a directiontoward the second end 13 until a desired diameter is selected for thecircle to be drawn. When the desired diameter is selected, thereleasable locking mechanism 8 is placed in the locked position asdescribed above to prevent relative sliding movement between the firstmember 4 and the second member 6. After locking the releasable lockingmechanism 8, the marking pencil 44 is inserted into the tubular insert42 until the point 44 a contacts the surface of the material 70. Thecircle 74 is then drawn on the material 70 by rotating the multi-purposehand tool 2 about the center defined by the needle point 20 a. Themaximum diameter of the circle that can be drawn using the multi-purposehand tool 2 in the configuration shown in FIG. 14A is achieved bysliding the second member 6 relative to the first member 4 so that thesecond end 6 b of the second member 6 is disposed at the second end 13of the elongated slot 12 b.

FIG. 14B shows an alternative configuration of the multi-purpose handtool 2 for marking a cut line for a circle having a diameter greaterthan the maximum diameter of the circle achieved by the configuration ofthe multi-purpose hand tool 2 shown in FIG. 14A. The configuration shownin FIG. 14B for marking a cut line for a circle is achieved as follows.After placing the releasable locking mechanism 8 in the unlockedposition as described above, the second member 6 is rotated 180°relative to the first member 4 from the configuration shown in FIGS. 1-6and 10 so that the first end 6 a of the second member 6 confronts thefirst portion 10 of the first member 4 and the second end 6 b of thesecond member 6 confronts the pointed edge 14 of the first member 4.After locating the center of the circle to be marked utilizing themarkings 23 and positioning the needle point 20 a of the pin 18 at thecenter of the circle as described above, the diameter of the circle isselected by the user by sliding the second member 6 along the elongatedslot 12 b of the first member 4. At this point, the releasable lockingmechanism 8 is placed in the locked position as described above toprevent relative sliding movement between the first member 4 and thesecond member 6. After locking the releasable locking mechanism 8, themarking pencil 44 is inserted into the tubular insert 42 until the tip44 a contacts the surface of the material 70. A circle 76, for example,is then drawn on the material 70 by rotating the multi-purpose hand tool2 about the center defined by the needle point 20 a.

FIG. 15 shows an alternative configuration and use of the multi-purposehand tool 2 according to the present invention for marking a cut linefor a circle 78 having a diameter larger than the maximum diameter ofthe circle that can be achieved by each of the configurations of themulti-purpose hand tool 2 shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 15, the multi-purpose hand tool 2 isused in combination with a separate frame member or extension 55 whichfunctions to enhance the versatility of the multi-purpose hand tool formarking circles of larger diameters. The extension 55 may be fabricatedfrom a suitable material, such as a strip of wood or metal, into alength long enough to achieve the desired radius of the circle 78. Apilot-hole 55 a is then drilled into the extension 55 at about one inchfrom one end 55 b thereof to form a pivot around which the circle 78will be drawn. The other end 55 c of the extension is then integrallyconnected to the first portion 10 of the first member 4 of themulti-purpose hand tool 2 using two fasteners 59, 61 which are passedand tightened through the countersunk holes 21, 25, respectively, andare engaged with the extension 55 so that the multi-purpose hand tool 2overhangs from the end 59 c of the extension 55.

Preferably, the fasteners 59, 61 may be two wood or metal screws whichpierce into the wood or metal extension 55 with sufficient strength tointegrally connect the multi-purpose hand tool 2 to the extension 55. Itwill be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, however, thatother types of removable fasteners, such as pins and nails, are suitableso long as the end 55 c of extension is removably integrally connectedto the multi-purpose hand tool 2. However, screws are generallypreferred over other types of fasteners such as nails and pins becausethey can be readily removed to disconnect the extension 55 from themulti-purpose hand tool 2 after a marking operation without potentialdamage to either the extension 55 or the multi-purpose hand tool 2.

After the multi-purpose hand tool 2 and the extension 55 are removablyintegrally connected together as described above, a fastener 57 (e.g., ascrew, pin or nail) is inserted through the pilot-hole 57 at the end 55b of the extension and connected to the material 70 to be marked at theselected pivot point only to the extent that it allows the extension 55to rotate relative to the material 70. In this configuration, the usermay conduct a marking operation by simply inserting the pencil 44 (orthe scribing tool 100 for the embodiment of FIGS. 18A-18D) into thetubular insert 42 of the multi-purpose hand tool 2 and rotate theassembly around the center point to mark the circle 78 as shown in FIG.15. It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art thatprior to a marking operation, the second member 6 may be slid along theelongated slot 12 b and then locked in place with the locking mechanism8, as described above with respect to the configurations shown in FIGS.14A and 14B, to further vary the desired diameter of the circle to bedrawn.

Thus, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art thatcircles of diameters greater than the diameters that are obtained by themulti-purpose hand tool 2 in the configurations shown in FIGS. 14A and14B can be achieved by the combination of the multi-purpose hand tool 2and the extension 55 described above. For example, if the desireddiameter for a circle to be marked in six feet (6′), then the extension55 preferably has a minimum length of about 38 inches and the diameterpilot-hole 55 a drilled into the extension 55 is preferably 5/16″. Thusduring a marking operation with the selected extension 55, if themulti-purpose hand tool 2 is in the configuration shown in FIG. 1 (i.e.,with the tapered surfaces 6 j, 6 k of the second member 6 are disposedin proximate confronting relation to the tapered surfaces 10 b, 10 c ofthe first portion 10 of the first member 4) a circle or arc can bemarked having a diameter of about 6′. Thereafter, additional circles orarcs having diameters of 6′⅜″ and 6′1⅜″, respectively, for example, canbe marked by sliding the second member 6 along the elongated slot 12 bby corresponding amounts and then locked into place as described above.

By the foregoing construction and method of use of the multi-purposehand tool 2 according to the present invention, the carpenter/tradesmanor homeowner can draw circles of various diameters more quickly and in ahighly efficient manner as compared to conventional methods for drawingcircles.

FIG. 16 illustrates the multi-purpose hand tool 2 of the presentinvention used to mark a piece of material 80 which needs to be fittedagainst an uneven surface 82. The multi-purpose hand tool 2 is disposedon a surface of the piece of material 80 with the pointed edge 14 of thefirst member 4 confronting the uneven surface 82. After placing thereleasable locking mechanism 8 in the unlocked position as describedabove, the second member 6 is rotated 180° relative to the first member4 from the configuration shown in FIGS. 1-6 and 10 so that the first end6 a of the second member 6 confronts the first portion 10 of the firstmember 4 and the second end 6 b of the second member 6 confronts thepointed edge 14 of the first member 4. Thereafter, the multi-purposehand tool 2 is moved toward the uneven surface 82 until the pointed edge14 of the first member 4 is brought into contact with the uneven surface82. After a desired distance from the uneven surface 82 where a line 84is to be marked on the piece of material 80 is selected, the secondmember 6 is slid along the elongated slot 12 b until the center of thethrough-hole 6 m lies at a point on the piece of material 80corresponding to the selected distance from the uneven surface 82. Atthis point, the releasable locking mechanism 8 is placed in the lockedposition as described above to prevent relative sliding movement betweenthe first member 4 and the second member 6. After locking the releasablelocking mechanism 8, the marking pencil 44 is inserted into the tubularinsert 42 until the point 44 a of the marking pencil 44 contacts thesurface of the piece of material 80. The line 84 is then marked on thepiece of material 80 by sliding the multi-purpose hand tool 2 along thepiece of material 80 in either of the directions denoted by thedouble-headed arrow 86 while the point 44 a of the marking pencil 44 ismaintained in contact with the piece of material 80 and the pointed edge14 of the first member 4 is maintained in contact with the unevensurface 82.

The configuration of the multi-purpose hand tool 2 and its applicationas described above and shown in FIG. 16 is typically adapted fortradesmen and homeowners with little or no experience in carpentry orgeneral construction. An alternative configuration of the multi-purposehand tool 2 for the application shown in FIG. 16 is adapted for theprofessional tradesman who, through experience, are capable ofmaintaining a steady hand during the marking operation. In thealternative configuration, if the desired distance from the unevensurface 82 where a line 84 is to be marked on the piece of material 80is known, the user uses only the measuring scales 62 to mark the line 84on the piece of material 80 by sliding the multi-purpose hand tool 2along the piece of material 80 in either of the directions denoted bythe double-headed arrow 86 while the point 44 a of the marking pencil 44is maintained in contact with the piece of material 80 and the pointededge 14 of the first member 4 is maintained in contact with the unevensurface 82.

By the foregoing construction and method of use, the multi-purpose handtool 2 according to the present invention can aid thecarpenter/tradesman or homeowner to accurately mark and cut (i.e.,scribe) any given piece of wood, corian, formica, sheet rock, etc.,which needs to be fitted against any horizontal or vertical unevensurface (e.g., the installation of a wood countertop against an unevenvertical wall).

FIG. 17 illustrates the multi-purpose hand tool 2 of the presentinvention used to mark a door or window frame 90 for the installation ofa door or window casing. From the configuration shown in FIGS. 1-6 and10, the releasable locking mechanism 8 is first placed in the unlockedposition as described above. The second member 6 is then slid along theelongated slot 12 b to a full frontal position until the second end 6 bof the second member 6 is disposed at the second end 13 of the elongatedslot 12 b. The second member 6 is then slid to a preselected setting bypositioning the second member 6 so that the first end 6 a of the secondmember 6 extends beyond the pointed edge 14 of the first member 4 by anamount corresponding to the preselected setting. The preselected settingis typically in the range of 1/16^(th) of an inch to ¾^(th) of an inch(e.g., a typical installation being ¼^(th) of an inch or ⅜^(th) of aninch) set back from the edge 90 a of the frame 90. Once the preselectedsetting is set, the releasable locking mechanism 8 is placed in thelocked position as described above. Thereafter, the pointed edge 14 ofthe first member 4 is placed against an inside intersecting corner ofthe frame 90 so that the tapered surfaces 4 f, 4 g of the first member 4abut horizontal and vertical edges of the frame 90. The marker pencil 44is then placed first in the notch portion 6 x and then in the notchportion 6 y of the second member 6 and the multi-purpose hand tool 2 isslid horizontally and vertically, respectively, while the taperedsurfaces 4 f, 4 g of the first member 4 abut horizontal and verticaledges of the frame 90 so that the outer edge of the 90° angle is markedall around the frame 90. Thus the multi-purpose hand tool 2 according tothe present invention will allow the carpenter/tradesman or homeowner toaccurately pinpoint the exact location of the intersection of the inneredges of the 45° cuts, while also marking the selected set back positionfor the door or window casing.

The configuration of the multi-purpose hand tool 2 and its applicationas described above and shown in FIG. 17 is typically adapted forprofessional tradesmen who, through experience, are capable ofmaintaining a steady hand as the multi-purpose hand tool 2 is slid whilethe marker pencil 44 is rested in the notch portions 6 x, 6 y of thesecond member 6 during the marking operation. An alternativeconfiguration of the multi-purpose hand tool 2 for the application shownin FIG. 17 is adapted for the novice tradesmen and homeowners withlittle or no experience in carpentry or general construction. In thealternative configuration, the second member 6 is positioned relative tothe first member 4 as described above for the application shown in FIG.16. More specifically, after placing the releasable locking mechanism 8in the unlocked position as described above, the second member 6 isrotated 180° relative to the first member 4 from the configuration shownin FIGS. 1-6 and 10 so that the first end 6 a of the second member 6confronts the first portion 10 of the first member 4 and the second end6 b of the second member 6 confronts the pointed edge 14 of the firstmember 4. Thereafter, the second member 6 is slid to a preselectedsetting by positioning the second member 6 so that the second end 6 b,including the first through-hole 6 m, extends beyond the pointed edge 14of the first member 4 by an amount corresponding to the preselectedsetting. Once the preselected setting is set, the releasable lockingmechanism 8 is placed in the locked position as described above.Thereafter, the pointed edge 14 of the first member 4 is placed againstan inside intersecting corner of the frame 90 so that the taperedsurfaces 4 f, 4 g of the first member 4 abut horizontal and verticaledges of the frame 90. The marker pencil 44 is then placed in thetubular insert 42 until the point 44 a of the marking pencil 44 contactsthe surface of the frame 90 and the multi-purpose hand tool 2 is slidhorizontally and vertically while the tapered surfaces 4 f, 4 g of thefirst member 4 abut horizontal and vertical edges of the frame 90 sothat the outer edge of the 90° angle is marked all around the frame 90.

In the foregoing uses for the multi-purpose hand tool 2 of the presentinvention described with reference to FIGS. 14-17, all measurements aretaken utilizing one or more of the measuring scales 62, 63, 65 and 67which, as described above, may be color-coded to facilitate selection ofthe measuring scale for the particular use and to facilitateidentification of the dimensional markings on the measuring scalesduring such use.

It is contemplated that the length L and width W of the first member 4may be any size desired or necessary to achieve the objectives of theuser of the multi-purpose hand tool 2. However, a key feature of thepresent invention are various structural dimensions of variouscomponents and portions which allows the present invention to beextremely useful as a multi-purpose hand tool for carpenters/tradesmenand homeowners while achieving a compact structure and withoutcompromising the objectives of the user. In this regard, a length L ofthe first member 4 is preferably in the range of 6.44 to 7.86 inches,and more preferably 7.125 inches. The width W of the first member 4 ispreferably in the range of 1.42 to 1.74 inches, and more preferably 1.56inches. The thickness t1 of the first portion 10 and the thickness t2 ofthe second portion 12 are preferably in the range of 0.49 to 0.69inches, and more preferably 0.56 inches. The foregoing preferred lengthL of the first member 4 permits the elongated slot 12 b to have a length(i.e., the distance between the first and second ends 11, 13 of theelongated slot 12 b) preferably in the range of 4.1 to 4.9 inches, andmore preferably 4.5 inches. The foregoing preferred length L of thefirst member 4 also allows the distance between the needle point 20 a ofthe pin 18 and the first end 11 of the elongated slot 12 a to bepreferably in the range of 0.84 to 1.0 inches, and more preferably 0.94inches. Both the foregoing preferred length of the elongated slot 12 band the foregoing preferred distance between the needle point 20 a ofthe pin 18 and the first end 11 of the elongated slot 12 a permit theusers to draw circles ranging from approximately 2.25 inches to 10.5inches. As described above, the range of diameters for the circles whichcan be drawn by the multi-purpose hand tool 2 according to the presentinvention is defined by the combination of the length of the elongatedslot 12 a and the fixed length defined between the needle point 20 a ofthe pin 18 and the first end 11 of the elongated slot 12 a.

The multi-purpose hand tool 2 according to the present invention asgenerally described and illustrated in the figures herein could beconstructed using any number of acceptable methods using a wide varietyof different materials. The materials for the components of themulti-purpose hand tool 2 according to the present invention areselected to preferably provide sufficient protection from theenvironmental elements, to provide sufficient rigidity to make themulti-purpose hand tool rugged to resist damage on the job site, and toenable the multi-purpose hand tool to be carried and stored in aworker's apron or pouch. Thus the components of the multi-purpose handtool 2 are preferably of sturdy rigid construction and the materials arepreferably selected to be lightweight and resistant to chemicals,ultraviolet rays, hot and cold temperatures and impact.

For example, the first and second members 4, 6 are preferablymanufactured by an injection moulded process using high performanceplastics such as a nylon blend (e.g., CAPRON™), apolycarbonate/polyester blend (e.g., XENOY™), or apolycarbonate/Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene blend (e.g., CYCOLAY™).The releasable locking mechanism 8 (e.g., fastener 38 and knob 40) andthe retractable needle assembly 16 (e.g., pin 18 and knob 26) arepreferably manufactured by an injection moulded process using highperformance plastics such as a nylon blend (e.g., CAPRON™), apolycarbonate/polyester blend (e.g., XENOY™), or an acetal copolymer(e.g., CELCON™). The tubular insert 42 for gripping or holding themarking pencil 44 is preferably manufactured by an injection mouldedprocess using thermoplastic polyurethane (e.g., ELASTOLAN™). However, itwill be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that other highperformance plastics and a wide variety of other materials, includinglower grade plastics such as polypropelene and durable and rigidmaterials such as aluminum and steel, would be acceptable for the firstand second members 4, 6, the releasable locking mechanism 8, theretractable needle assembly 16, and the tubular insert 42. The blade 54and the screws 56 are preferably made of stainless steel or othersuitable metal. Despite the sturdy rigid construction of the knob 26 ofthe retractable needle assembly 16, the reduced diameter portion 26 dbetween the finger-engagement portion 26 b and the engagement portion 26c allows the engagement portion 26 c to flex sufficiently such that theengagement portion 26 c can be snapped into the cutout 28 of thethrough-bore 27, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, during assembly of themulti-purpose hand tool 2.

In another embodiment, various components of the multi-purpose hand tool2, including the first member 4, the second member 6, and the knobs 26,40, are preferably fabricated from a clear cast or poured resin materialso that the multi-purpose hand tool 2 is substantially transparent. Thetransparency of the multi-purpose hand tool 2 will allow the user to seethrough the various transparent portions to ensure the accuracy of themarking operations. For example, when scribing a countertop or drawing acircle or arc, the user will be able to view the pencil line as it isbeing drawn, thereby increasing the accuracy of the multi-purpose handtool 2. The transparency of the multi-purpose hand tool 2 also creates apleasant aesthetic effect by permitting the user to view thenon-transparent portions (e.g., pin 18 and fastener 38).

FIGS. 18A-18D show a scribing apparatus 101 according to the presentinvention for scoring a cut line in a piece of material. The scribingapparatus 101 comprises a multi-purpose hand tool 2 according to any oneof the foregoing described embodiments and a cutting tool 100 for use incombination with the multi-purpose hand tool 2. The cutting tool 100 hasan elongated member 102, a sleeve 104 mounted on one end of theelongated member 102, and a pair of leg portions 106 extending from theend of the elongated member 102 and disposed in space-apart relationfrom each other. A pin 108 extends transversely to and connects the legportions 106 to one another. A generally circular-shaped blade 110 ismounted on the pin 108 for undergoing rotation relative thereto. Thesleeve 104 is provided with a plurality of longitudinal ribs 104 aextending along an outer wall surface thereof. The longitudinal ribs 104a of the sleeve 104 function as a grip or holder for holding the cuttingtool 100 in the tubular insert 42 fitted in the through-hole 6 m of thesecond member 6 and prevent any twisting of the cutting tool 100 duringuse of the multi-purpose hand tool 2. The diameter of the sleeve 104 istherefore selected so that the sleeve 104 is retained in the tubularinsert 42 while the longitudinal ribs 104 a prevent any twisting of thecutting tool 100 relative to the second member 6 during use of themulti-purpose hand tool 2. The diameter of the blade 110 is alsoselected so that it is permitted to be passed through the tubular insert42 until it contacts the surface on which a scoring operation is desiredto be performed.

The cutting tool 100 can be used in combination with the multi-purposehand tool 2 of the present invention to score a a cut line for any ofthe uses for the multi-purpose hand tool 2 of the present inventiondescribed above with reference to FIGS. 14A-14B and 15-17, except forthe configuration of the multi-purpose hand tool shown in FIG. 17 inwhich the pencil point rests on the notch portions 6 x, 6 y of thesecond member 6 to mark the line around the frame 90. For example,during use of the multi-purpose hand tool 2 to score a line in a pieceof material 80 which needs to be fitted against an uneven surface 82, asshown in FIG. 16, the cutting tool 100 is inserted into the tubularinsert 42 until the cutting blade 110 contacts the surface of the pieceof material 80. The line 84 is then scored in the piece of material 80by sliding the multi-purpose hand tool 2 along the piece of material 80in either of the directions denoted by the double-headed arrow 86 whilethe blade 110 of the cutting tool 100 is maintained in contact with thepiece of material 80 and the pointed edge 14 of the first member 4 ismaintained in contact with the uneven surface 82.

The multi-purpose hand tool 2 can also be used in combination with thecutting tool 100 to score a line for a circle, as shown in FIGS. 14 and15. For example, after locating the center of the circle to be markedutilizing the markings 23 and positioning the needle point 20 a of thepin 18 at the center of the circle as described above, the diameter ofthe circle is selected by the user by sliding the second member 6 alongthe elongated slot 12 b of the first member 4. After locking thereleasable locking mechanism 8 at this position of the sliding member 6,the cutting tool 100 is inserted into the tubular insert 42 until thecutting blade 110 contacts the surface of the material 70. A circle(e.g., any one of circles 72, 74, 76 and 78 shown in FIGS. 14A-14B and15) is then scored in the material 70 by rotating the multi-purpose handtool 2 about the center defined by the needle point 20 a.

The unique construction of the present invention results in a highlyversatile multi-purpose hand tool and scribing apparatus each having aunique design which permits the carpenter/tradesman or homeowner toselectively use the multi-purpose hand tool and scribing apparatus tomark or scribe a given piece of material which needs to be fittedagainst an uneven surface, to mark and scribe door and window frames forthe installation of door or window casings, and to mark and scribestraight lines, arcs or circles of any diameter with precision andwithout consuming a large amount of time. The multi-purpose hand tooland the scribing apparatus of the present invention are lightweight andcompact so that they can be easily carried and stored in a worker'sapron or pouch and is easy to operate on the job site. Furthermore, theinventive multi-purpose hand tool and scribing apparatus may be operatedquickly by both highly-skilled and novice carpenters/tradesmen andhomeowners with little or no risk of inaccuracy because of waveringduring operation and may be readily operated without the use ofauxiliary tools or excessive manipulations. The multi-purpose hand tooland the scribing apparatus according to the present invention willenable the not so skilled tradesman or homeowner to achieve professionalresults.

Moreover, the multi-purpose hand tool and the scribing apparatusaccording to the present invention may be manufactured in any size andweight and is highly durable and resistant to structural or performancedegradation.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that the presentinvention comprises an improved multi-purpose hand tool and an improvedscribing apparatus. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the artthat obvious changes can be made to the embodiments described in theforegoing description without departing from the broad inventive conceptthereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limitedto the particular embodiments disclosed, but is intended to cover allobvious modifications thereof which are within the scope and the spiritof the invention as defined by the appended claims.

1. A multi-purpose hand tool comprising: a first member having a firstportion, a second portion, and a pair of through-holes extending from afirst surface of the first portion to a second surface thereof oppositethe first surface; a second member slidably and pivotally coupled to thesecond portion of the first member; and a coupling assembly forpivotally coupling the second member to the second portion of the firstmember and allowing the second member to slide on and pivot relative tothe second portion between a first position proximate a first end of thesecond portion in which the multi-purpose hand tool can be used toobtain a measurement for a first marking or scribing operation, and asecond position proximate a second end of the second portion oppositethe first end thereof in which the multi-purpose hand tool can be usedto obtain a measurement for a second marking or scribing operationdifferent from the first marking or scribing operation, therebyproviding a multi-purpose hand tool reconfiguration for a plurality ofpurposes.
 2. A multi-purpose hand tool according to claim 1; wherein thefirst portion of the first member includes at least one sharpener.
 3. Amulti-purpose hand tool according to claim 1; wherein the second memberhas a top main surface, a bottom main surface, a first end, a secondend, and through-hole disposed at the second end and extending throughthe top and bottom main surfaces; and further comprising means definingat least one marking pencil rest disposed at the first end of the secondmember.
 4. A multi-purpose hand tool according to claim 3; wherein themeans defining a marking pencil rest comprises a notch portion cut inthe second member at the first end thereof.
 5. A multi-purpose hand toolaccording to claim 3; further comprising holding means disposed at thesecond end of the second member for holding a marking pencil.
 6. Amulti-purpose hand tool according to claim 5; wherein the holding meanscomprises a tubular insert disposed in the through-hole or the secondmember, and gripping means extending from an inner peripheral surface ofthe tubular insert for gripping the marking pencil.
 7. A multi-purposehand tool according to claim 6; wherein the gripping means comprises aplurality of ribs.
 8. A multi-purpose hand tool according to claim 1;wherein each of the first member and the second member includes at leastone measuring scale.
 9. A multi-purpose hand tool according to claim 8;wherein the measuring scales are color-coded.
 10. A multi-purpose handtool according to claim 1; wherein each of the through-holes comprises acountersunk hole for receiving therein a fastener to connect themulti-purpose hand tool to a frame member.
 11. A multi-purpose hand toolcomprising: a first member having a first portion, and a second portion;a second member slidably and pivotally coupled to the second portion ofthe first member; and a coupling assembly for pivotally coupling thesecond member to the second portion of the first member and allowing thesecond member to slide on and pivot relative to the second portionbetween a first position proximate a first end of the second portion inwhich the multi-purpose hand tool can be used to obtain a measurementfor a first marking or scribing operation, and a second positionproximate a second end of the second portion opposite the first endthereof in which the multi-purpose hand tool can be used to obtain ameasurement for a second marking or scribing operation different fromthe first marking or scribing operation, thereby providing amulti-purpose hand tool reconfiguration for a plurality of purposes;wherein each of the first member and the second member is fabricatedfrom a transparent material.
 12. A scribing apparatus comprising: afirst member having a first surface for contacting a surface of amaterial to be marked or scribed, a second surface disposed opposite thefirst surface, a longitudinal slot extending from the first surface tothe second surface, a central longitudinal axis, and a pair ofthrough-holes extending from the first surface to the second surface ofthe first member and on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis thereof;a second member slidably and pivotally coupled to the first surface ofthe first member, the second member having a first main surface, asecond main surface disposed opposite the first main surface, and athrough-hole extending from the first main surface to the second mainsurface, the through-hole being generally vertically aligned with thelongitudinal slot of the first member at preselected positions of thesecond member relative to the first member; a coupling assembly forpivotally coupling the second member to the first surface of the firstmember and allowing the second member to slide on and pivot relative tothe first surface of the first member; and a cutting tool having acutting member for insertion generally vertically through thethrough-hole of the second member and the longitudinal slot of the firstmember in any of the preselected positions for contacting the surface ofthe material to mark or scribe a line in the surface of the materialwhen the first member and the second member are displaced relative tothe material while the first member is maintained in contact with thesurface of the material.
 13. A scribing apparatus according to claim 12;wherein each of the first member and the second member includes at leastone measuring scale.
 14. A scribing apparatus according to claim 13;wherein the measuring scales are color-coded.
 15. A scribing apparatusaccording to claim 12; wherein each of the pair of through-holescomprises a countersunk hole for receiving therein a fastener to connectthe multi-purpose hand tool to a frame member.
 16. A scribing apparatuscomprising: a first member having a first surface for contacting asurface of a material to be marked or scribed, a second surface disposedopposite the first surface, and a longitudinal slot extending from thefirst surface to the second surface; a second member slidably andpivotally coupled to the first surface of the first member, the secondmember having a first main surface, a second main surface disposedopposite the first main surface, and a through-hole extending from thefirst main surface to the second main surface, the through-hole beinggenerally vertically aligned with the longitudinal slot of the firstmember at preselected positions of the second member relative to thefirst member; a coupling assembly for pivotally coupling the secondmember to the first surface of the first member and allowing the secondmember to slide on and pivot relative to the first surface of the firstmember; and a cutting tool having a cutting member for insertiongenerally vertically through the through-hole of the second member andthe longitudinal slot of the first member in any of the preselectedpositions for contacting the surface of the material to mark or scribe aline in the surface of the material when the first member and the secondmember are displaced relative to the material while the first member ismaintained in contact with the surface of the material; wherein each ofthe first member and the second member is fabricated from a transparentmaterial.
 17. A multi-purpose hand tool comprising: a first memberhaving a first portion, a second portion, and a pair of through-holesextending from a first surface of the first portion to a second surfacethereof opposite the first surface; and second member slidably andpivotally coupled to the second portion of the first member so that thesecond member can slide on and pivot relative to the second portionbetween a first position proximate a first end of the second portion inwhich the multi-purpose hand tool can be used to obtain a measurementfor a first marking or scribing operation, and a second positionproximate a second end of the second portion opposite the first endthereof in which the multi-purpose hand tool can be used to obtain ameasurement for second marking or scribing operation different from thefirst marking or scribing operation.
 18. A multi-purpose hand toolaccording to claim 17; wherein each of the pair of through-holescomprises a countersunk hole for receiving therein a fastener to connectthe multi-purpose hand tool to a frame member.
 19. A multi-purpose handtool comprising: a first member having a first portion and a secondportion; and second member slidably and pivotally coupled to the secondportion of the first member so that the second member can slide on andpivot relative to the second portion between a first position proximatea first end of the second portion in which the multi-purpose hand toolcan be used to obtain a measurement for a first marking or scribingoperation, and a second position proximate a second end of the secondportion opposite the first end thereof in which the multi-purpose handtool can be used to obtain a measurement for second marking or scribingoperation different from the first marking or scribing operation;wherein each of the first member and the second member is fabricatedfrom a transparent material.
 20. In combination: a multi-purpose handtool comprised of a first member having a first portion and a secondportion, a second member slidably and pivotally coupled to the secondportion of the first member, and a coupling assembly for pivotallycoupling the second member to the second portion of the first member andallowing the second member to slide on and pivot relative to the secondportion between a first position proximate a first end of the secondportion in which the multi-purpose hand tool can be used to obtain ameasurement for a first marking or scribing operation on a piece ofmaterial, and a second position proximate a second end of the secondportion opposite the first end thereof in which the multi-purpose handtool can be used to obtain a measurement for a second marking orscribing operation on the piece of material different from the firstmarking or scribing operation; a frame member having a first end portionand a second end portion opposite the first end portion, and connectingmeans for removably integrally connecting the first end portion of theframe member to the first portion of the first member of themulti-purpose hand tool and for removably connecting the second endportion of the frame member to the first portion of the first member ofthe multi-purpose hand tool and for removably connecting the second endportion of the frame member to the piece of material to allow relativemovement between the frame member and the piece of material; wherein theconnecting means comprises a pair of through-holes extending from afirst surface of the first portion of the first member to a secondsurface thereof opposite the first surface, a pair of first fastenersextending through the respective through-holes and engaging the firstend portion of the frame member, and a second fastener extending throughthe second end portion of the frame member and engaging the piece ofmaterial.
 21. In combination: a multi-purpose hand tool comprised of afirst member having a first portion and a second portion, a secondmember slidably and pivotally coupled to the second portion of the firstmember, and a coupling assembly for pivotally coupling the second memberto the second portion of the first member and allowing the second memberto slide on and pivot relative to the second portion between a firstposition proximate a first end of the second portion in which themulti-purpose hand tool can be used to obtain a measurement for a firstmarking or scribing operation on a piece of material, and a secondposition proximate a second end of the second portion opposite the firstend thereof in which the multi-purpose hand tool can be used to obtain ameasurement for a second marking or scribing operation on the piece ofmaterial different from the first marking or scribing operation; a framemember having a first end portion and a second end portion opposite thefirst end portion, and connecting means for removably integrallyconnecting the first end portion of the frame member to the firstportion of the first member of the multi-purpose hand tool and forremovably connecting the second end portion of the frame member to thefirst portion of the first member of the multi-purpose hand tool and forremovably connecting the second end portion of the frame member to thepiece of material to allow relative movement between the frame memberand the piece of material; wherein the first and second members of themulti-purpose hand tool are fabricated from a transparent material.